Airplane undercarriage



Nbv. 18, 1924.

B. D. THOMAS AIRPLANE UNDERCARRIAGE Filed Nov. 21, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY B. D. THOMAS AIRPLANE UNDERCARRIAGE Filed Nov. 21, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 4 IN VENTOR $0 m @fmmw BY ATTORNEY B. D. THOMAS AIRPLANE UNDERCAmunGE Nov. 18, 24- 1,516,357

Filed Nov. 2 1922 a Sheets-Sheet 5 wweutoz Q I a 5 mmw Patented Nov. 18, 1 924.

' UNITED STATES BENJAMIN DOUGLAS THOMAS, F ITHAOA, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH 'IO THOMAS- MORSE AIRCRAFT CORPORATION, OF ITHAGA,-N-EW YORK, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK,

AIRPLANE UNDER/CARRIAGE.

Application filled November 21, 1922. Seria1, No. eoassa.

To allwlwm it may qoncem:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN DOUGLAS Tnoms, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residin at Ithaca, in the county of 6 Tompkins and tateof New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Airplane Undercarriages, of which improvement the following is a specification.

10 This invention relates to the under carriage. for airplanes, and has for its principal object to rovide asimple, light, and com act shock a sorbing connection between the ame and the axle to secure substantial 16 vertical displacement of. the wheels under load, and to reduce to a minimum the lateral stresses on the wheels. Another object is to provide increased clearance beneath the axle for permitting landing on rough or -un- 20 preparedfields without danger of nosing over. Still another object is to enclose the shock absorbing mechanism to protect the same and-reduce the air resistance. These and other objects will more fully appear from the following description and claims-I In the accompanying drawings: Figurel is a perspective view of an under carriage embodying my improvement; Fig. 2, a front elevation of one side of the carriage showing the improved connection to the wheel; F ig. 3, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 4, a ront elevation, on a smaller scale, illustrating a modification of cross bracing; Fig.

.5, a transverse section of a wheel-showing a modification with the shock absorber enclosed within the wheel; and, Fig. 6, an inside elevation of the same with the cover plate removed.

In the practice of my invention, the usual 40 continuous axle 'from wheel to wheel of the under carriage is eliminated, and the short axle, 5, of each wheel is curved upward and welded to an upper shock absorber housing or guard, 6. The usual V type side memhere or struts, 8, of the frame are employed, and at the lower end of the forward strut is welded the lower shock absorber housing or guard, 7. An elastic cord, 9, is wound throu h the upper and lower ards, 6 and 7, am? that'portion-of the cor between the two ards is preferably covered with detacha le stream-line covers, thus providing protection for the shock absorber from mu and water.

In order to provide for a substantially parallel movement of the respective shock absorber casings, and for a vertical displacement of the wheels when the elastic cord is stressed under load, a linkage, 10, is connected at its upper end to the side struts and at .its lower end to the top. of the upper guard, 6, and another similar linkage, 11, is

pivotally connected at its inner and upper end to bosses formed on the lower portion of the side struts, and at its lower and outer end to the axle, 5, close to the inside of the wheel hub.

By means of this construction during the flexing of the shock absorber, the parts are maintained in substantial with the wheels vertical.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the shock absorbing mechanism is similar to that above described, but the same is enclosed with a casing, 15, forming the hub portion of the wheel. In this case the axle, 5, has a bearing, 16, at its outer end in the hub casing, 15, and is connected through the bracket arms, 17 and 18, with the ring, 19, which is mounted in a-bearing at the inner side of the casing, 15. The shock absorber guards or saddles, 6 and 7, are shown as inparallel relation clined slightly to a vertical plane, but substantially parallel with the movement of the struts as guided by the linkage. There is wheels, thus increasing the clearance beneath the frame topermit landing on rough ground.

As. shown in Fig. 4:, this lateral brace may be formed in two parts, 13, 13, inclined upwardly and connecting-- at the bottom of the fuselage. The diagonal cross wires, '14, 14, also connect the forward struts for reducing a truss effect to brace the un er carriage against lateral stresses.

It Wlll now be seen that my improvecomplete protection ment provides a spring action or shock absorber for permitting relative verticaldisplacement of the wheels when striking the ground in landing, thereby relieving the ma chine from sudden shocks and jars, and reducing the liability of accidents in landmg.

- Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an airplane under carriage, the coinbination with side struts and a pair of wheels, of a separate axle for each wheel,

- an upper semi-circular shock absorber guard connected to each axle, a lower semi circular guard connected to the side strut at each side, and an elastic cord shock absorber wound through said upper and lower guards.

2. In an airplane under carriage, the combination with sidestruts and a pair of wheels, of a separate axle for each wheel, said axles being bent upwardly at their in her ends, a shock absorber guard rigidly secured to the upper end of each axle, another guard secured to the side strut below the axis of the wheel, and an elastic cord shock absorber connecting said upper and lower guards. i

3. In an airplane under carriage, the combination with side struts and a pair of wheels, of separate axles for each wheel, said axles being turned upwardly at their inner ends, a linkage connection between the upper end of each axle and its supporting struts, and another linkage connection between the lower portion of said struts and said axle.

4. In an airplane under carriage, the combination with side struts and a pair of wheels, of a separate axle for each wheel, a

shock absorber guard secured to said axle, another shock absorber guard secured .to its supporting struts, an elastic shock absorber connecting said guards, and a linkage connection between said struts and axles.

5. In an airplane undercarriage, the'com- I to said strut.

6. In an airplane undercarriage, the combination with a strut and a wheel having a hub casing, of an axle havin a bearing at one end in said casing, a ring aving a bearing at the inside end of said casin and connected to said axle, a shock absor er mechanism enclosed within the casing and connecting the axle to the strut, and a cover for the inside end of the'casing.

7. In an airplane undercarriage, the combination with side struts and stub 'wheel axles, of an upper shock absorber housing secured to the mner end of each axle, a. similar housing. secured to the lower end of the struts on each side, yieldable means between said housings, and means to ensure a substantially; parallel movement of said hous mgs.

. 8. In an airplane undercarriage, the combination with side struts and stub wheel axles, of an upper shock absorber housing secured to the inner end of-each axle, a similar housing secured to the lower end of the struts on each side, elastic means in said housings, a linkage connecting the upper housing to the struts, and a linka e connecting the axle to said struts, where y the relative movement of said housings is maintained parallel and that of the axles is kept vertical.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

BENJAMIN DOUGLAS THOMAS. 

